Views across to Taktsang Monastery or 'Eagle's Nest' in Bhutan | <i>Liz Light</i> Inside this beautiful Bhutanese monastery | <i>Richard I'Anson</i> Enjoying lunch views high up in Bhutan's alpine landscape | <i>Soren Kruse Ledet</i> Taking in Bhutan's magical scenery on the Snowman Trek | <i>Soren Kruse Ledet</i> Two local Bhutanese men standing outside a temple | <i>Liz Light</i> Buddhist Monk dancing at the annual Paro Festival in Bhutan
/ Activities / Trekking & Walking / Guided Treks & Walks / Bhutan holiday tours & walking adventures

Bhutan Holiday Tours and Walking Trips

Festivals | Cultural Highlights | Walks & Treks

Steeped in mystique and legend, Bhutan offers a world away from home for both adventurous and inquisitive traveller looking for a deeper insight.

Witness the spectacle of vibrant festivals and fascinating Buddhist rituals, explore the picturesque Paro Valley on foot and walk among dramatic Himalayan landscapes that weave through Bhutan's remote regions and communities.

Read on for an in-depth guide on the best cultural tours and walking holidays that will leave you captivated by Bhutan's stunning landscapes, ancient culture and its humble people.

Kumano Kodo Hiking Trail

Hike cobblestone routes through the remote and sacred forested mountain ranges of UNESCO-listed Kii Hanto. Home to centuries old pilgrimage trails leading to the three Grand Shrines of Kumano – Yoshin and Omine, Kumano Sanzan and Koyosan, this hike follows the footsteps of Emperors that link the capitals of Nara and Kyoto.

Traversing the mountain landscape to Hongu shrine, Japan's Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Trail is a sublime way to discover Japan's cultural past while immersing in cedar forestry, efflorescent valleys, hot springs and scenic waterfalls. The trail's finale will lead you to the Kumano Nachi Taisha, a Shinto shrine on Nachi mountain; and if you've already walked the Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago), you will be honoured with a Dual Pilgrim badge and certificate.



Misty morning hiking the Kumano Kodo

The Nakasendo Way

This short multi-day walk travels on Japan's historic routes which connect the country's old and new capitals. The self-guided trail follows forest paths through the central mountains to the picturesque Kiso Valley and the alpine Karuizawa town.

Passing villages, you'll experience Japan's peaceful countryside and scenic post towns for a fascinating insight into Japanese culture and history. The complete walk is five days, but there are options to explore the trail who are shorter on time. A trip highlight, you ask? Soaking in the thermal waters at a hot spring ryokan.



Forest temple along the Nakasendo Way
Historic Asuka Walking Trails

Explore the scenic surrounds of Asuka, a beautiful village located in Takaichi in the Nara Basin (a quick train ride from Kyoto or Osaka). Known for its wonderful terraced rice fields and ancient temples, step into peaceful village life and stay at lovely Japanese homestay establishments – an enriching experience of rural life in the countryside. We recommend taking the Asuka Monuments Walk as a great introduction to village's history and landmarks and renting a bike to visit Asuka's rice fields.

Then take the Asuka trail to the Tazan-Jijna Shrine that borders the town, Sakurai. Walking approximately 13 kilometres, wind through charming roads of this agricultural community before heading to a forest trail that leads to the atmospheric mountain shrines and its imposing pagodas. An ideal time to visit Tazan Shrine is during the fall for a spectacular wash of autumn colours.



Stunning terraced rice fields near Azuka, Japan
Nara hikes: Yamanobe-no-michi & Yagu Kaido Walking Trail

Hike near the ancient capital Nara, which abounds in cultural heritage, enchanting shrines, stunning temples and, of course, the famous deer. Part of Japan's oldest road, the Yamanobe-no-Michi trail offers access to the wonderful nature of Nara. You'll feel like you've stepped back in time as you walk through the country's history along verdant paths that pass significant temples, shrines and ancient tombs. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for a perched bronze rabbit statue along the way, called Nade usagi, and give it a stroke as it's said to bring good fortune.

Another treasure of a trail to walk is the Yagyu Kaido trail, which follows the footsteps of warriors who took this route to the sword-making village of Yagyu. The full hike is a challenging 20 kilometres, but there is a shorter 12-kilometre option from Enjo-ji Temple. Either route you opt for will end with a wonderful stroll through Nara Park with its spotted deer and temples.



Japan's Ancient Capitals
Climb Mount Daimonji

Looking to step outside of Kyoto's bustling hub for a greener scenery? Stretch your legs on a day hike to the summit of Daimonji-yama (or more colloquially, Daimonji) for a mise en scène of low lying plains and river landscapes of the Kyoto Basin – the stage for some of the most edifying and poignant episodes in Japanese lore.

Gain a bird’s eye view of the expansive city from a stunning lookout point – it's so high up that on a clear day, Osaka's skyscrapers can be seen in the distance. The hike itself is around two hours return. For those who prefer to stay at base level, there is the option of walking along the Philosophers’ Path.



Historical pagoda in Kyoto Japan
Dorogawa Walking Trails

Hike around the onsen townscape of Dorogawa. This secluded area is famous for its sweet spring water and traditional herb and fungus medicines. Scenically located, the village has paths along riverside trails and mountain passes. Head to places such as to Ryusen-ji Temple, with its bright red maple trees, stunning gardens and legendary dragon tales. Also pay a visit to the country town's central waterfall, where pilgrims cleanse before visiting the sacred mountain of Omine which dominates the town.

After a day's hike, relax in an onsen at a comfortable ryokan inn.



Yoshino Village, Kii Mountains Nara | <i>Janelle Williams</i>
Traversing the backbone of the Bhutanese Himalaya, the Bhutan Snowman Trek is considered the most challenging trek in the Himalaya - but also the most stunning. It is undertaken by only a handful of trekkers each season and accesses Lunana, the most remote region of Bhutan. Catch a glimpse of what it's like on this trek, why it is considered so hard and also so beautiful. Learn more about our Bhutan Snowman Trek at https://worldexpeditions.com/Bhutan/Trekking-Exploratory/Bhutan-Snowman-Trek

Top Bhutan Cultural Tours & Festivals

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What to expect on our Japan walking tours

• Your safety and enjoyment is our top priority: Hikers are met the day before their Japan walking adventures begins for a thorough briefing by our experienced trip coordinator – receive details of the practicalities of the hike, map routes, timetables of local transports to take when on a self-guided hike, cultural considerations to keep in mind, as well as local tips along the way.

• 20+ years of experience leading Japan adventures: We're the first Australian company to offer commercial trekking groups in Japan back in 1997 and only utilise high quality services sought out by our local and knowledgeable logistics team. We want your trip to be seamless and things, such as not having to worry about carrying your luggage to and from accommodations between hiking days, are all taken care of with local support every step of the way.

• Taste of Japanese culture and hospitality: Stay in quality inns typically situated in natural environments for an authentic Japanese experience. You can also experience overnight stays in traditional ryokans or minshuku with futon bedding arrangements. A highlight by many of our travellers is how delicious the meals are, many of which are prepared by these locally-run establishments.

• All-inclusive value: Focus on the adventure ahead by enjoying the all-inclusive value of our high quality Japan walking tours, which take care of the hassle of logistics and planning. Meals, accommodation, local transportation by bus or train, information packs including route notes and topographical maps for self-guided routes, an expert bilingual guide for our guided adventures and luggage transfers are included in the trip cost. Plus, solo travellers don't pay extra. Instead we match you with another traveller of the same gender so you enjoy the best price with plenty of inclusions.

• Tailored walks designed by walkers: Diverse terrain means you will need to feel comfortable in variable mountain conditions – on trails such as the Kumano Kodo, expect steep ascents and descents. Our adventure experts at the time of booking can help you choose the right hike for you based on your fitness level and interest. You can also refer to our grading guide.

• Thoughtful travel practices: As leaders in responsible travel, our Japan itineraries are designed to minimise the amount of carbon produced and use small, locally-owned accommodation to support the local economy and encourage communities to preserve their traditions. What's more, by joining onto our Japan walking tours you are directly supporting Positive Impact Projects that address the UN Sustainable Development Goals, like reducing poverty, affordable and clean energy, reducing hunger, clean water and climate action.

We love traveling with World Eexpeditions. This was our third adventure trip with them and we did a customized Japan trip.

We like their "responsible traveller" policies and highly believe in giving back to the communities we explore. Our experience with our Japan trip was incredible, the guides we met really made our trip special. We enjoyed their companionship, knowledge and their guiding abilities. Japan is a beautiful country, full of culture, traditions yet highly efficient, tech savvy, and wonderful people. Hoping to go back some day and visit different areas.

 

N. Patel from Hawaii | Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Hike☆☆☆☆

This is a great itinerary, you get to walk in a variety of landscapes - all of them breathtaking. I experienced three very different cities, ate fantastic food, relaxed in deliciously hot onsen and was left inspired to return to discover more of Japan.

 

K. Tighe from Australia | Backroads of Japan☆☆☆☆☆

Although there is some travelling to get to the start of this series of walks, the effort is well worth it with wonderful vistas, woodlands sprinkled with shrines and sacred sites, magnificent trees, steep climbs (with steep descents), authentic village accommodation, invigorating spa bathing, and not the least superb food. Add to this a guide well versed in Japanese life, religion and nature and with the flexibility to alter the walking to suit the weather. We thoroughly enjoyed this walk, and could have managed another couple of days here.

 

Chris & Yvonne from New Zealand | Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Hike☆☆☆☆☆

The most memorable part of our trip was walking in the countryside, seeing parts of Japan that I would never have discovered on my own and being guided by a reliable expert. Asuka, Dorogawa and the Mitarai Gorge were particularly memorable. We enjoyed wonderful exotic food, charming ryokans and soothing onsens and the company of like-minded fellow travellers. We stayed at family-run ryokans and experienced genuine locally sourced food, which was fresh, delicious and exquisitely prepared. This was an excellent trip. The tour guide, Alena, was an expert on Japan and made our trip very enjoyable and stress-free.

 

Min D. from the UK | Backroads of Japan ☆☆☆☆

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